Tottenham complete free transfer signing of Ivan Perisic
FT Desk
- Updated: 31 May 2022 15:06 CDT
- 5 min read
Tottenham Hotspur have officially completed the signing of Ivan Perisic on a free transfer from Inter Milan.
Perisic has agreed a two-year contract with Spurs worth €6 million per season.
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Upon signing for Tottenham, Perisic said: "I know it’s a common thing to say, but this was one of the hardest decisions I had to make in my career - and I decided to follow my dream of playing in Premier League, now I’m ready for Spurs."
The 33-year-old’s contract at San Siro was set to expire at the end of next month and he rejected Inter’s offer of a new deal.
The Nerazzurri had offered him a two-year deal worth €5m per season but he has opted to reunite with Antonio Conte at Tottenham.
It was Conte who re-trained Perisic as a left-wing back during the 2020-21 season and the Croatian played a key role as Inter won their first Scudetto in 11 years.
This past season, Perisic excelled even more in the same position and was one of the best players in Serie A for the Nerazzurri, although they finished second behind rivals Milan.
Perisic thanked the club and fans on his Instagram page on Tuesday: "After 254 games, 55 goals, 49 assists, 3 trophies and 18.934 minutes spent on the pitch wearing this glorious jersey ; my journey here has come to an end.
"Even though every end means a new beginning it’s important to reflect back on these past years and show you my deepest appreciation for the work accomplished.
"It was an unforgettable learning experience for me as a player and for my whole family.
"To the team, the staff, to all the employees but most importantly to the fans : you will always have a special place in my heart.
"I leave feeling privileged having this club in my portfolio."
It is likely that Conte will utilise Perisic in the same left-wing back role for Tottenham next season, although his natural role is further up the pitch and he could be used a supporting attacker to Harry Kane.
Perisic joined Inter from Wolfsburg in 2015 and has enjoyed six fantastic years at Inter, scoring 55 goals in 254 games.
He won a Scudetto, Coppa Italia and Italian Super Cup, while he spent the 2019-20 season on loan at Bayern Munich where he lifted the Champions League, Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal.
Perisic will be replaced at Inter by Robin Gosens, the Germany international who already arrived at the club from Atalanta in mid-season.
As for Tottenham, Perisic is the first of many expected signings arriving this summer as Conte looks to build on last season’s fourth-placed finished.
